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High blood pressure is a serious and widespread problem in the western world. It leads to a number of diseases and illnesses such as heart attack and stroke, and can be very difficult to manage. That’s why scientists and doctors are always looking for a new way to prevent and manage this condition. These preventative measures and treatments can include food restrictions, diets and exercise programs. And when the condition is very severe, medications are usually required. Unfortunately, these medications can cause a variety of problems for your personal health and overall wellbeing. That’s why it’s so important to learn about the latest research on blood pressure in relation to important risk factors.

 

Blood Pressure Risk Factors

High blood pressure can be caused by a variety of factors. It can be genetic and run in the family or it can be the result of poor lifestyle choices and routines. The most common risk factors according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NIH) are as follows:

 

• Ethnicity, high blood pressure is more common in certain ethnicities such as African American.
• Age, blood pressure readings tend to increase with age.
• Family history.
• Gender, men are more likely to develop high blood pressure before the age of 55 and women are more likely to develop it after the same age.
• Excess weight
• Lifestyle factors such as stress, lack of physical activity, smoking, high sodium intake or excess alcohol.

 

Blood Pressure and Healthy Behaviors

A recent study indicates that maintaining a healthy weight range might be more important than any other risk factor in avoiding or controlling high blood pressure. The study evaluated the effects of the five health behaviors to determine their effects on blood pressure levels over 25 years. The health behaviors were:

 

• Never smoking.
• Restricting alcohol intake to zero to seven drinks a week for women and zero to fourteen for men.
• Maintaining a healthy weight with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of under 25.
• Eating a healthy diet.
• Taking at least 150 minutes of moderate to strenuous exercise every week.

 

The study ran for 25 years and followed 4, 630 participants throughout their lives with measurements of these behaviors eight times during this period.

 

The Results

What the study found was a surprise to many of the researchers. It found that people who maintained a healthy weight during this period were 41 percent less likely to have high blood pressure as they got older. In contrast, physical activity and eating a healthy diet were not associated with decreases in blood pressure at all.  This was perhaps the greatest surprise that came from this study. The final health behaviors, never smoking and diminished alcohol intake, were associated with a slight decrease in the chances of having high blood pressure. According to the researchers, further study is needed to confirm the extent of the influence of these final two health behaviors. These results have interesting implications for your personal health.

 

The Results and Your Personal Health

These results are impressive and surprising. They indicate that maintaining a healthy weight is more important than certain lifestyle factors in lowering blood pressure. However, this doesn’t mean that you can drink and smoke as long as you stay thin. These secondary health behaviors, exercising, eating well and not putting toxins in your body, are essential in keeping healthy systems and better health overall. Instead, what the results suggest is that your weight should be your focus if you’re trying to lower your blood pressure. And creating a daily routine that includes the other health behaviors will help you achieve that healthy BMI and stay within that healthy range.

 

If you’re concerned about your blood pressure, or your weight, try HomeLab, the at home health system that will help you keep track of those important health markers.

 

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